Door corner



Dec. 8, 1953 R. s. WISOK 2,661,822

DOOR CORNER Filed June 10, 1950 INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 8, 1953 DOOR CORNER :Robert Wisok, Detroit, Mich.,'assignor to Wisco, Inc.I Detroit, Mich,, --a corporation of Michiganlipplication June 10, 1950, Serial No. 167,413 -Claims. (Cl. 189-36) Thepresent invention .;relates to comer construction for metal "doors :andhas 1amon rits objects the provision ot a corner construction adaptablefor use both at :the corners pi :a door and also-at the junction of theside memberscand cross rails if desired.

Another object of :the invention :is :the provi ion of a cornerstructure that will not sac and allow the joint to open and becomeunsightly. I

Another object is the provision :of :a corner construction that is neatin appearance and which ithe .securingzmeans :is entirely hidden.

Still other objects and advantages will readily occur to those skilledin the tart-upon reference to the following description and the1accompanyins drawing in which:

Fi 1 is a perspective wiew of :a portion of a door showing an upper anda lower corner.

,E 2 is a sectignal View on line 2+2 .of Fig. :6.

.F 3 hows a detail, partly in section, of the adj tin means :lfor thebottom of the door.

Fig. 4 ;is a view in perspective of the securing me ns.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a detail of the construction.

Fig. ,6 is a section on'-line:6 ;6 of .Fig. 2.

As indicated in the drawings, the door consist of side members or rails.iliil :(only one of which is shown) and top and bottom members .orrails H and 12 respectively. :Of these, the side rails in and top rail 11| may be identical cross-section and are of tubular form and arepreferably of extruded aluminum or other suitable material.

-These members or rails 1:0 and f are generally rectangular and comprisewhat may be called a body portion 10A having along one of the shortersides of the rectangle a flange 1913 against which will be secured apanel (not shown). Along the opposite short side of the rectangle, the:metal will extend outwardly as at I136 to provide :a shalllow channel.

Upon the inner faces of the short sides of the rectangular body of themembers It, I1 and 12 will be formed low ribs 15 located a short dstance from the adjacent long side of the rectangle whereby to providesmall grooves or channels and at the base of the flange lllB, inside thelatter, is another low rib L5 extending toward and aligned with themetal wall MD forming the short side of the rectangle adjacent flangeIOB.

The only difierencebetween side members It and u and bottom member 42lies in the fact from the adjacent sides of -2 that the edge flanges l[8C are somewhat longer orfhigherthan the'fianges HlC so as to provide asomewhat deeper channel at the bottom of a completed door.

In building a :door of the members above iiescribed, pieces H], M and:12 are cut to suitable length and miter-ed :as indicated at 2'8. Intothe abutting mitered ends of two of such 'ieoes is then inserted thefastening or securing means shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

This securing means consists of a pair of -L- shaped right angle membersand 2 of resilient material, such as steel, preferably formed as shown;namely, having their edge portions 20A, 24A inclined to the centralportion 2133-4213, at a small :angle and showing cross section :ash'allow, ooncavo-convextrough or flattened 3U --'shape.

The members :20 and :21 are identical except that one of them, 2i], isprovided with suitable openings for the passage of screws 22 and isfurther provided with suitable sheet metal or other nuts .23 adapted tocoact with screws 22 and held in position in any suitable fashion on theconvex face of the member, as by welding or by means zo'fsmall tongues(23A struck out of the metal of the member 20.

As stated above, the pair of members 2B-2 l are inserted in the abuttingmitered ends or members H], II and I2 and into the grooves provided byribs l5 so that the lateral edges ofmembers 29-2! abut the innersurfaces of the rectangular body. When thus positioned the members 20and 21 are laterally spaced apart and the arm portions thereof arearched away the rails interconnected thereby as perhaps bestshown-in'F-i-g. 6. The longitudinal edges of each arm portion seat inadjacent corners of the rails. The ribs 15 assist in guiding the members29 and 2! into the rails, to position the members properly in the rails,and to hold the eral displacement at all times. Also, the ribs '15 holdthe members '25 and 2t properly positioned in the rails when the screws22 are being screwed into the members 2!] during assembly of the frame.

Through suitable openings, later closed by plugs 25, the screws 22 inmember 28 are screwed down against the face of member 2! to ,force thecen tral portion of the bowed members apart and thereby exertconsiderable pressure against the members against lat-- 3 cent sides ofthe rails H3 and II. When tightened, the screws 22 physically urgemembers 28 and 2| apart; and by forcing the members 2i] and 2| apart,the screws press the arm portions of the members laterally against thesides of the rails to hold the latter assembled. However, by reason ofthe resilient nature of the members 28 and 2! tightening of the screws22 also flexes the members and thereby creates internal stresses thereinwhich expand the same transversely and force the longitudinal edgesthereof against the upper and lower sides of the rails. This actioncreated by inherent resiliency in the members 26 and 2| supplements thelateral forces exerted by the screws, and the combined action results inan exceedingly effective holding force. It will be observed that theresultant forces tend to crowd the longitudinal edges of members 23 and21 into the internal corners of the rails and that holding forcesare-exerted laterally and transversely with regard to the members and 2|against the corner surfaces of the rails. The total effect is animproved and exceedingly strong corner construction. Also and perhapsequally important is the fact that the exceedingly strong holding forceis obtained by the use of small, lightweight means. If the properstrength and resiliency is present, the members 20 and 24 can be madefrom relatively light gage metal, thus maintaining the weight of theconstruction at a minimum and reducing manufacturing costs. All of thesefactors are important in apparatus of the character here underconsideration.

As a further means for insuring against relative movement of the members2i3-2i and the members H], H, l2, the former may be provide-:1 with aplurality of short sharp barbs 3E alon their outer edges. These areconveniently formed by notcliing and forcing one edge of the notchoutwardly as shown.

As stated above, the bottom rail ('2 is provided with a somewhat deeperedge channel than are members l0 and H. This is to provide for thereception of an adjusting strip is which consists of a channel ofsuitable dimensions lying within the channel of member I? and held inproper location by means of an angle member or bracket 3| fixed to strip33 and extending up into the edge channel of the door side rail H whereit may be secured by means of a suitable screw F 3IA passing through aslot 31B in the bracket.

Suitable means for fixing the bracket 31 to strip is shown in Fig. 3 asstraps 30A punched up from the metal of strip 38 and receiving the lowerend of the bracket.

I claim:

1. A corner construction for fabricated metal structures comprisingright-angularly disposed hollow rails having mitered ends abuttingtogether, each rail being provided with generally right-angularlydisposed diametrically opposed internal corners, and a pair ofrelatively thin L- shaped members of resilient material connecting saidrails and arranged in laterally spaced relation with the arm portionsthereof extending into the hollow interiors of the rails, each of saidarm portions being arched transversely and away from the adjacent sideof the rail in which it is disposed and the longitudinal edges of eacharm portion seating in adjacent internal corners of the rails, andholding means engaging the arched portions of the arms flexing the sametoward the adjacent sides of the rails and thereby compressing said armportions to jam the edges thereof outwardly into pressed frictionalengagement with their respective corner surfaces, whereby the holdingeffect of said holding means is supplemented by stressing of saidresilient arm por- Itions.

2. A corner construction for fabricated metal structures comprisinghollow rails disposed in abutting relation, a pair of laterally spacedmemhere in and bridging the butted ends of the rails, and holding meansforcing said members apart and toward opposite sides of the rails, saidrails having a pair of aligned internal corners at one side thereofseating the longitudinal edges of one member and another pair of spacedinternal corners at the other side thereof seating the longitudinaledges of the other member, said memers being of relatively thin,flexible, resilient material and being arched transversely away from theadjacent sides of the rails, said separating means flexing the archedportions of the members and thereby stressing the same to expand thelongitudinal edges thereof tightly against the corner surfaces engagedthereby, whereby the tensioned spring action of the members supplementsthe lateral pressure exerted against the rails by said separating meansto hold the rails assembled.

3. A corner construction for fabricated metal structures comprisingright-anguiarly disposed hollow rails having mitered ends abuttingtogether, each rail being provided with generally right-angularlydisposed diametrically opposed internal corners, and a pair of L-shapedmembers of resilient material connecting said rails and ar- 7 ranged inlaterally spaced relation with the arm portions thereof extending intothe hollow interiors of the rafls, each of said arm portions beingarched transversely and away from the adjacent side of the rail in whichit is disposed and the longitudinal edges of each arm portion seating inadjacent internal corners of the rails, one of said members having ascrew-threaded opening therein disposed in alignment with an opening inthe adjacent side of the rail, and a screw insertible through theopening in the rail in and threadedly engaging said internally threadedhole, said screw bearing endwise against the other of said members, andurging said members apart laterally against the engaged corner surfacesof the rails, said screw simultaneously stressing the arched portions ofthe arms to force the longitudinal edges thereof in directionstransverse thereto and against the opposed corner surfaces of the rails.

4. A corner construction for fabricated metal structures comprisingright-angularly disposed hollow rails having mitered ends abuttingtogether, each rail being provided with generally right-angularlydisposed diametrically opposed internal corners, and a pair of L-shapedmem bers of resilient material connecting said rails and arranged inlaterally spaced relation with the arm portions thereof extending intothe hollow interiors of the rails, each of said arm portions beingarched transversely and away from the adjacent side of the rail in whichit is disposed and the longitudinal edges of each arm portion seating inadjacent internal corners of the rails, the arched portions of onemember having an opening therein and the rail receiving said men herhaving an opening disposed in alignment with said first-mentionedopening, a nut fastened to said member over the opening therein, and ascrew insertible through the opening in said rail threaded into the nutand bearing endwise against the other of said members, said screwspreading the members physically apart and pressing the same laterallyagainst their respective corner surfaces and simultaneously stressingthe arched portions of the members to press the longitudinal edgesthereof in directions transverse to the arm portions and against opposedcorner surfaces of the rails, and means normally closing the openings inthe rails.

5. A corner construction for fabricated metal structures comprisinghollow rails disposed in abutting relation, a pair of laterally spacedmembers in and bridging the butted ends of the rails, and holding meansforcing said members apart and toward opposite sides of the rails, saidrails having a pair of aligned internal corners at one side thereofseating the longitudinal edges of one member and another pair of spacedinternal corners at the other side thereof seating the longitudinaledges of the other member, said rails also provided with ribs extendinginto the hollow interiors thereof behind said members and co-operativewith the latter to hold the edges thereof seated in their respectivecorners, said members being of relatively thin, flexible, resilientmaterial and being arched transversely away from the adjacent sides ofthe rails so that said holding means flexes the arched portions of themembers and thereby stresses the same to expand the longitudinal edgesthereof tightly against 'the corner surfaces engaged thereby, wherebythe tensioned spring action of the members supplements the lateralpressure exerted against the rails by said members to hold the railsassembled.

ROBERT S. WISOK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,439,167 Higgin Dec. 19, 1922 2,188,209 Sharp Jan. 23, 194:0v2,205,957 Tinnerman Dec. 9, 1941 2,290,430 Heiser July 21, 1942

